Game apparatus



. Sept. 29, 1925.

' F. H. JOHNSO N GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 14, 1922 .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

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. INVENTOR. WITNESSES: Freden'bifi H. Joizmon,

/ 5 ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 29, [1925.

F. H. JOH NSON GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed Aug. 14. 1922 KICK-OFF CHART- E m v 5 M T S MD N A H W P R E c m R 60 L A f W m W m i A F VF w a M R D P Pu NT iTNESS s.- I

45 cates a game board of oblong SON, acit'izen Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

. UNITED STAT B5 PATEN 0FFIE- FREDERICK n. JonNsom-or' ALLEN own, rmmsnva'ma.

cairn APPARATUS.

Application 'fil ed. Angus (21.4, 1922. Serial 1 10. 581,618.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. J OHN- of the United States, residing at Allentown, county of Lehighand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements; in Game Apparatus, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to game apparatus, and an object of the invention is to provide an assemblage comprehending among its elements. a game board and associated chance .controlled devices whereby the game of foot-' rates of progression of a gamepiece and gains and forfeitures realized and encoun-- tered during the pro ress of a game.

These and other. 0 jects are,accomplished by what I now regard as the'preferred embodiment of my invention from among many other possible forms and arrangements embraced within the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended 'claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. I, is a view in top plan of a game board designed vin accordance with the present invention.

Fig. II, is, a view in plan of a series of splnning indicators for convenience mounted on a single support; and, Figure III, shows the game pieces or counters hereinafter more particularly referred to. a

With reference to the drawings 10 indiconfiguration having its surface inscribed with longitudinal, spaced lines ll'indicating the lateral boundaries of a football field, and transverse lines 12 indicating unit increments of progression in either direction from the end goals 13 to the center line 14. The transverse lines may be numerically valued as in a regulation football field, and indicated on the board by placing the values along the longitudinal margins in multiples of five,

separated periphery is beginning at the ends ofthe field and termihating-at the center-linen. A series of eye-' lets '15 or other recesseddevices are enibedded in' the material of the'board and ext'endin a line along oneof the longitudinal boundaries of the field, with. five eyelets included between each adjacentpair of lines In connection with the game board 10, I employ a series of indicators shown in Fig.

11' which for convenience are mounted on a single suppfort, although they may-be made circular dialcalled the kick-0E chart with a spinning pointer 17 pivoted centrally-and having its periphery divided into indicia which are valued to designate units of prodesired, in which 16 indicates a.

gression and retrogression with respect to 'the designated location or extent of movement of the ballat, the initial opening of the game. In other words the indicia consist of directions to move the ball across the field to an extent depending upon themagnitude of the particular index, and the 'indicia are of several kinds; those directing-an advance movement of the ball, those directing a retrogressive movement of the ball, and those showing an incident in the game, as for instance. Run backfor touchdown, and Fumbled, recovered on'25 yard line, the

object being to supply anindex for every possible play that might occur during a kickoff in the actual game. The scrimmage plays are indicated by means of dials 18, 19 and 20, the first mentioned having a pointer 21 pivoted centrally. in traveling over a series of indicia representing gains and losses in line plunging, and the. dial has been designated by this name. In this instance the divided in major indicia 22 of varying angular magnitudes designating gains and losses, and the major indicia are in turn subdivided into, minor indicia' 23: designating numerical values of the losses. and gains with in 'cations for controlling directional movement of the ball, such as 4" L. T. and 6 RT. The indicator 19 likewise consists of a dial having. a', centrally pivoted pointer 24: which serves to point out after spinning one of a seriesof radial indicia indicating gains and losses during .the

executionof a forward pass? In a similar.

manner the periphery of this dial is divided into major indicia 25 representing gains an losses and indicia26 representin a play as Intercepted opponents ball. 'I he gain in all possible plays while printing. The free plays in addition to the kickoff are indicated by' the dials 28 and 29 which are designated respectively as Drop and placement kicks and Play from scrimmage after touch down. Each includes a centrally pive oted pointer 30 which moves over peripheral indicia indicating successes and failures a]- ternately arranged and arbitrarily assigned in number in effecting the several plays indicated. v

The game i played w1th two game pieces or counters w 'ch may consist of pegs 31,

I '32, one of which 32 is slightly longer than the other 31 and they are insertable in the eyelets 15,, the taller peg 32 being selected arbitrarily to represent the polnt to which the player must gain and the shorter 31 to represent the position of the ball as it advances and recedes across the field during the course of agame. The initial play is made with the Kick-elf indicator the particular player having first opportunity of usin the indicator being determined by chance. -lifter the pegs 31, 32 have been set as directed by the result indicated as the pointer 17 comes to rest the following player in exercising his judgment may select any one of the scrimmage play indicators 18, 19 or 20, in accordance with the practice well known to those familiar with the regulation game of football, the pegs 31, 32 being adjusted following the indication pointed out after spinning any I one of the indicators. The changing relation of defence and ofi'ence between the players is regulated by the results shown by the indicaters. The free play indicators 28 and 29 are used at the proper stage of the game and f the number of indicia in each of these indicators has been determined and their angular distances correlated with a view to closely approximating the chances for the success or failure of the plays in the actual perf0rmance of a football game.

I am aware that game apparatus simulating the playing of regulation football have heretoforebeen advanced but as far as I present invention by reason of the character know at present no game has been devised in which every play could be correctly manipulated and the actual circumstances and opportunities for success and losses simulated with a suliicient degree of accuracy. The

of the indicators employed and the nature and arrangement of the indicia thereon afford the players an opportimity to exercise a scientific control over the action and progthe dial and the subdivision of each gain and loss space into units of pre-calculated numerical value so that the pomibilities of variatrions in the play are accurately indicated;

The arrangement of the kick-off dial and the forward pass and punting dials have been made with the same object in view and with the employment of the same expedients.

Having-thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a parlor game apparatus for playing football, a game board having a field simulating in outline and lation football field, a series of recessed eyelets contiguous to said field of progressive vincrement indicating units, game pieces of unequal length for progression along the indicating units, and an associated series of indicators governing movement of the game pieces comprising free and scrimmage play indicators, the latter having major indicia of varying magnitudes representing losses proportion a regu- 1 and gains, each of said major indicia being field, a succession of recessed eyelets contiguous to the field of uniform unit increments of progression, markers of unequal length or movement along the aforesald units, a chance indicator including a number of indicia corresponding to all the actual possibilities occurring during a kick-oil", and an associated series of selective indicators for effecting scrimmage plays; each of the latter including major indicia of varying magnitudes representing losses and gains and subdivided into'minor indicia having varying numerical values defining the rate of movement of the markers. 7 I

3. A parlor game apparatus for playing football, comprising a game board having a field simulating in outlineand proportion a regulation football field, a succession of recessed eyelets contiguous to the field of uniform unit increments of progression, peg markers for relative movement along said eyelets, a chance indicator having indicia representing in number and value all'of the possible plays in an initial free play, an indicator selective to effect line plunging having,

merical magnitude to indicate rate of p'ro gression forthe peg markers, and a. series of 3 indicators selective to effect other free and scrimmage plays.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signedmy name at Allentown, Pa., this 7th day of Au ust 1922. I

h REDERICK H. J OHNSON 

